As of now, the largest drawback of video conferencing is that for most people, its just not convenient.  This is largely due to the fact that most people still connect to the internet through regular copper phone lines.  With download speeds limited to 56kbps and upload limited to 33.6kbps, it's not surprising that video conferencing hasn't caught on to many home users.  Most experts would say that the bare minimum for video conferencing is dual ISDN lines, running at 128kbps.  Even this, though, is stretching it.  With speeds greater than this (i.e. xDSL or Cable) video conferencing will be more of an nuisance than a tool to most home users.

    With this need for speed, video conferencing also carries another problem for most home users: price.  DSL lines and Cable Lines have an initial charge of $200-$500 for most users, that is if the technology is even available where they live.  Then the monthly charge is roughly $50, a leap in price compared to the $20 or even sub-$20 most people pay for regular phone line access.

    Furthermore, DSL may offer speed but it might not always offer video conferencing.  Some types of video conferencing are not always compatible with some types of DSL.  For further information, you might want to check out EverythingDSL.com FAQ.